1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a one-piece header assembly for connecting an implantable medical device to a body organ assisted by the medical device. The header assembly includes terminal blocks electrically connected to the distal end of intermediate conductor wires supported in the header. The proximal end of the intermediate conductor wires comprise a quick connect structure for connecting to feedthrough wires or pins exiting the medical device. Electrical leads are plugged into the terminal blocks to establish continuity from the medical device to a tip of the electrical leads inserted into a body tissue.
2. Prior Art
Implantable medical devices have feedthrough conductors in the form of pins or wires connected to the internal components of the medical device. The feedthrough wires extend through a wall of the medical device housing and are electrically insulated therefrom by a ceramic-to-metal seal or a glass-to-metal seal. Electrical continuity to a conductor lead attached to the body being assisted is established by connecting intermediate conductor wires supported by a polymeric header mounted on the medical device to the feedthrough wires and terminal blocks in the molded header. The terminal blocks then provide for plugging the conductor lead into the molded polymeric header. Examples of this type of header assembly are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,254,775 to Langer, U.S. Pat. No. 4,262,673 to Kinney et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,764,132 to Stutz, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 5,282,841 to Szyszkowski and U.S. Pat. No. 5,336,246 to Dantanarayana. However, what is needed is a quick and reliable connection between the feedthrough wires from the medical device and the intermediate conductor wires supported by the molded header. The present invention connection structures are improvements over those shown by the prior art patents.